Finishing the Walls on the Third Floor

This was the second and final week we worked on the third floor walls and columns. Once there is a roof, (probably a couple of years from now) this will become an apartment for the pastor and family.

Does anyone know how many bricks

it takes to build just four walls???

LOTS!!!

Tired after a long day of hauling bricks. Couldn't have done it without Jhonny, one of the men from church!!!

 Walls and columns going up!

Another picture for those of you who put safety first!

Getting a column ready to pour.

Do you know where this guy is?

I had no desire to help him! I haul bricks.

Getting the cement ready to fill the columns.

The last brickwork around the stairs.

Removing the forms from the columns.

Walls and columns up.

The finished product - complete with graffiti.

First Week - Third Floor Construction

 Monday, August 22 we started the third floor construction project by getting the bricks, rebar, sand and gravel from the street to the roof.

A pulley was a tremendous help in getting the materials

onto the roof.

You might find the Peruvian way of getting electricity interesting. We needed to have three phase current so we borrowed from a neighbor to make that possible. You would have to ask an electrician how this works; I just watched and made sure not to touch any wires!!!
 

The brick laying begins!

That is the neighbor's laundry hanging on the roof next door.

Scaffolding.

This is probably not OSHA approved, but little on the job would be so using an upturned barrel as a ladder right on the edge of the roof shouldn't be a big deal!

This is our job for tomorrow, replacing the columns that were done incorrectly with these corrected ones. The 3/4 inch rebar will be pretty heavy! If anything should fall, the neighbor's tin roof below doesn't stand a chance.

2011 ARRIBA Jungle Trip to the Amazon

Each ARRIBA team ends their year in Peru with a mission trip to the jungle. For the past 7 years we've had the privilege to serve the Lord by teaching and preaching in some of the small villages on the tributaries of the Amazon River in eastern Peru. This year we spent two weeks in a small village called 28th of July. (Named after Peru's Independence Day.) This is the fourth year that we have assisted Pastor Felipe in this village by having Bible clubs for the children, ladies' Bible studies, and teaching the men. Special services nightly rounded out the ministry there.

Our team this year included not only the ARRIBA students (Jessie and Kyle) but also two young ladies from our church: Celia and Delsi. After leaving our house in Lima at 3:00 a.m., they still had their eyes open when our flight arrived in the jungle.

Our transportation up the Amazon to 28th of July was the boat in the middle.

 

"Main Street" of 28th of July. It's also the only street!

 

We pitched our tents inside the town's "medical center." The tents were to keep the mosquitoes from biting us all night. This was the guys' side. Notice how clean and organized everything is. (OK, I'll be honest. It was the first morning we were there!)

Jessie and Kyle working with the kids on a craft after their Bible story. Most days about 22 kids attended the club.

Afternoons held enough free time to play games with the kids.

Jessie, Kyle and Delsi at the church with some of the kids.

Every afternoon the ladies had a Bible study with Jessie, Delsi and Celia.

Each evening we had special services. Many of the people from the village came even if they did not attend regularly. Kyle and I took turns preaching.

The first three nights my messages focused on Christ, the Lamb of God, as our substitute.

The Sunday morning service.

There were 13 men from three villages who were in the class I taught on Revelation, The Triumph of the Lamb. I had 4 and a half hours a day for eight days with these men. Three of them are pastors. Three other churches had hoped to send men, but the heavy rains kept them from being able to come. Please pray for the churches in

28th of July, Grau and Amazonas.

2011 Church VBS

This year we had our first Vacation Bible School at El Manantial, February 14 - 18. The average daily attendance was 40 children ages 4 to 12. We thank the Lord for all the teachers and helpers who faithfully worked throughout the week. The theme was, "Who is Jesus?"

Each day there was a skit to introduce the lesson for the day.

Jessie (ARRIBA student) teaches the 4 to 6 year olds.

Kyle (the other ARRIBA team member) taught the 7 to 9 year olds.

Heidi Robbins, a former ARRIBA student who teaches at Fetzer, worked with the 10 to 12 year olds.

Yes, we even had dogs in attendance daily!

Closing time for songs, verses and cheers.

The last day the children all received a special balloon.

2011 Church Anniversary

Greetings from Lima, PERU. We began this new year celebrating Iglesia Bautista El Manantial's 13th anniversary with special services from January 14-16. One of the area pastors spoke each evening. We enjoyed special music, a church supper and the baptism of two young people.

We had about 55 in attendance on Friday and Saturday nights. Sunday we had several visitors with an attendance of 75.

Special music from the young people.

The Church Supper

The delicious food prepared by the ladies.

We had the dinner on the second floor of the church.

The Baptism

Last June we asked prayer for Jhonny, who had just accepted the Lord. For quite some time, he has been eager to be baptized. In our September letter we mentioned his wife, Karina, who had a premature baby boy, Esteban. We praise the Lord that their little baby is doing fine.

The anniversary cakes.

Some of you who followed our blog during
the church construction might recognize this man.
Julio is a man of many talents - from laying brick to serving cake!